Jail cut for ice addict who blew himself up
Philip Cornford
October 14, 2006
AN ADDICT of the drug ice who blew himself up while heating methylamphetamine for use has had his maximum jail sentenced reduced by one year in recognition of his self-inflicted injuries.
Abdel Alameddine, who confessed he wanted to consume as much methylamphetamine as he could before police arrested him, had his maximum sentence lowered to three years by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal this week.
Alameddine, who suffered severe burns to 50 per cent of his body, was given no reduction on his minimum sentence and will serve 18 months before he is eligible for parole.
He testified he was burning crystal meth with a butane gas flame when there was an explosion and a fire in a shed used as a laboratory to produce the drug, which users call ice.
In his judgement, Justice Grove, supported by Justice and Justice Hislop, "gave significant weight to the serious … injuries acknowledged to have been self-inflicted".
Alameddine was in hospital for three months and had to wear a burns suit for two years.
"It is obvious that his injuries were severe and his suffering would have been intense," Justice Grove said and constituted an "extra-curial punishment".
The prosecutor opposed the application for a lower sentence because it "creates an undesirable public policy" in sentencing.
A psychologist told the court Alameddine was "in the bottom of the borderline mentally retarded region". He was serving five months' home detention for driving offences when a parole officer found, at his home, quantities of drugs used to make methylamphetamine and called police on November 29, 2002.
While the parole officer waited for police, Alameddine took the drugs to a shed.
There was an explosion and he staggered out, burnt and bleeding.
In the ruins, analysts found 74.8 grams of pseudoephedrine, enough to produce 50 grams of methylamphetamine.
Alameddine pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing illegal drugs, but Justice Grove, on appeal, ruled that his role was limited and the quantity of drugs involved was "relatively modest."
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